Speakers Corner Pays Tribute to Sir David Frost

2nd September 2013

Speakers Corner pays tribute to veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost, who has died at the age of 74, after a TV career spanning over six decades.

His celebrated series of interviews with Richard Nixon in 1977 when the former US leader apologised for the Watergate scandal, was a highlight in a prolific and esteemed career, which encompassed gameshows, news broadcasting, satire and interviews.

As the tributes continue to pour in for Sir David, Britain remembers a charismatic, intelligent and highly influential personality and pioneer.

Described by Sir Michael Parkinson as a “remarkable man... inspired a generation - an incredibly talented man, adept at so many things, an all-rounder,” Frost was widely credited with breaking cultural boundaries.Tony Blair described him as a “huge figure in broadcasting”, adding: “He had an extraordinary ability to draw out the interviewee, knew exactly where the real story lay and how to get at it, and was also a thoroughly kind and good natured man.”

Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV, said Sir David was the "epitome of old school charm" and "one of the giants of television".

His career began in satire as a former Cambridge Footlights member, and his big break on TV came when he was signed up for a new BBC satire called That Was The Week That Was, first broadcast in 1962. Other TV credits to his name include the much-loved Frost Report in the 1960s, The Frost Programme in the 1970s and Frost on Sunday in the 1990s.

Not just a broadcasting powerhouse, Sir David also had a business brain – he was instrumental in setting up two significant TV franchises: LWT in 1967 and TV-am in 1983.

He had worked for Middle East-based broadcaster Al Jazeera English since 2006.